I get unnerved, annoyed, and worse when in the course of a conversation the other person says: "Whatever."

"Whatever" is not an intelligent reply. The person, who you might have thought as erudite or at least intelligent, is after all a boob--an unthinking shallow, limited zero. Oops. There I go again. I'm so quick to put down those who do not rise to standard.

This witless graduate of the Yale Matchbook Diploma Company wasted his $25 tuition fee. (The only accreditation printed on the matchbook is either Nigerian Experimental Kindergarten or Matchbook Accreditation Society of Upper Slabovia.)

Lest my readers think I am an elitist or narrow minded by slamming diploma mills that offer a PhD in any field that doesn't necessitate course work or qualifying exams, let me assure you that I am an expert in making chocolate egg creams. My own PhD doctorate thesis was: "Bitchslapping as a Means of Educating The Masses."

Oh, I am not angry that my thesis was denied and the diploma forfeited on the grounds that my humor was based on that of Groucho Marx. To me, being compared to Groucho was indeed an honor and more valid than the Harvard Matchbook Academy that was to grant me my PhD. In its long history, the HMA has never refused anyone a diploma. The letter of rejection insert did not placate me.